Japan’s Second Highest Mountain, Kitadake

The highest mountain in Japan is Mount Fuji (3,776m).
The second highest is Mount Kitadake (3,193m), located in the Southern Alps.
The history of modern climbing in Japan begins with its ascent in 1898 by two Japanese climbers and a British missionary, Walter Weston, although it had previously been climbed as a religious pilgrimage.
Most climbers start from the Hirogawara trailhead, which is in Ashiyasu, Minami Alps City.
It takes around 7 to 8 hours on average to make the ascent.
For a short time each year you can see the Kitadakeso, a flower native to Mount Kitadake, and other rare alpine plants.
Whether you’ve climbed Mount Fuji or not, Mount Kitadake’s striking profile and peaceful isolation is a rare treat for the motivated climber.